Behind the deal: with Ron Lohuis, co-founder Partnify

‍From Grow-ID to Partnify

They met at a marketing lecture at Hanze University, where a conversation about Ron's former company, Grow-ID, quickly turned into an invitation for a beer. Ron recalls: “I shared my experiences about Grow-ID with Jens, and he showed a genuine interest in the idea.” This first exchange of ideas led to a meeting outside the lecture halls. “Let's have a beer at your place in Groningen and talk more about it,” Jens suggested, and this laid the foundation for their future collaboration. This unplanned beer turned out to be the start of both a friendship and a partnership; as Ron describes, “Jens asked me directly if I was interested in working together. I said yes without hesitation.” Their shared passion for solving real business problems ultimately led to the birth of Partnify, a platform that streamlines and improves collaboration between SMEs and freelancers/agencies. They realized that there was a big gap between what service providers offered and what companies needed. In addition, they saw many inefficiencies in communication and project lead times between companies and freelancers or agencies in their work with Grow-ID.

Ron reflects on their journey: “It was a combination of ambitions and insights that led us to Partnify.” At the end of 2022, Partnify was launched, founded by Jens Visser, Ron Lohuis, Daniël van der Berg and Jonatan Elgersma. While it was initially just Jens and Ron, they quickly decided that more founders were needed. “Because Jens and I didn't have the technical development skills they had.” He explains that he and Jens decided to work with Jonathan and Daniel because of their technical expertise, which was essential to Partnify's development. Ron explains, “To attract investors, we needed to have a tangible product. Daniel and Jonathan's technical skills were crucial here.”

“Running a startup isn't just a fairy tale,” Ron notes, emphasizing that success in the startup world isn't just about glamour and high business valuations, as often portrayed on social media and platforms like LinkedIn. He admits that he and his partner Jens didn't fully understand what starting a startup meant at first, especially with regard to working with investors. Ron shares an honest view: “Part of my work isn't necessarily fun,” acknowledging the difficult moments and long nights inherent in entrepreneurship. However, he sees these challenges as crucial to personal growth and success. His experiences underscore the importance of perseverance and learning to appreciate the “deep valleys” involved in navigating the dynamic and often unpredictable world of startups.

“It was a combination of ambitions and insights that led us to Partnify.”

500,000 euros in growth capital

The pre-seed investment comes from ten angel investors, including two of the founders of Embrace Cloud. This round was not without challenges; the process involved approaching an estimated 1,200 to 1,400 potential investors, ultimately narrowed down to a select group of around ten investors. Ron explains that although they approached a wide range of potential investors in their search for financial support, including many from cities such as Amsterdam and Utrecht, part of their investment ultimately came from the Groningen region, such as Embrace Cloud.

He shares that the current circle of investors not only believes in Partnify on a professional level, but also has a personal relationship with the team. Investors include well-known names such as GoSharing's Raymon Pouwels, whom Ron appreciates particularly for his support and trust. These investors are essential to Partnify, not only because of their financial support but also for their advice and networking opportunities, which contribute to the growth and development of the platform.

The investment will mainly be used for the further development of the Partnify platform. He explains that while many startups tend to reserve a large part of their investments for marketing and visibility, Partnify takes a different approach. Their strategy is more focused on onboarding companies and integrating their feedback into the development of the platform. Ron stresses the importance of directly involving users in the development process, by collecting and using feedback to improve and adapt the platform.

Growing as a founder

“In the beginning, my focus was primarily on entrepreneurship for myself,” says Ron, but he notes that this mindset has moved to a greater sense of responsibility towards their investors and customers, family members and friends. Ron illustrates how their joint journey was not only a business venture, but also a platform for personal development. Both have learned to appreciate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship and to use these experiences for their personal and professional growth. “It's a path of constant development, both for us as individuals and for our company,” Ron concludes.

Asked if Ron has tips for other founders, he responds briefly but firmly: “Work with people who give you energy. In good times, but especially in more difficult times, this will bring you a lot.”

Want to know more about Partnify? Go to www.partnify.nl/